Bidding Guide 2Z19 Main

Bidding Terminology

by Richard Pavlicek

Words every bridge player should know

Artificial bid

A bid that is not related to the named suit or notrump; an example is the Stayman 2 bid

Balanced

A hand pattern with no singleton or void and at most one doubleton; 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 or 5-3-3-2

Bid

A call that names a number and a suit or notrump

Call

Any bid, pass, double or redouble

Contract

The final bid; more specifically, the trump suit (or notrump) and the number of tricks required

Control

The ability to win the 1st or 2nd round of a suit at a trump contract; an ace, king, singleton or void

Cue-bid

A bid in the enemy suit, not to suggest that suit as trumps but to force partner to bid

Dealer

The player who deals the cards and is required to make the first call

Declarer

The player who, for his side, first named the suit or notrump of the final bid and will play the hand

Doubleton

A holding of exactly two cards in a suit

Dummy

The partner of the declarer

Forcing

The condition of a bid that partner must not pass and allow it to become the contract

Game

A trick score of 100 or more, which can be made by a bid of at least 3 NT, 4 , 4 , 5 or 5

Grand slam

Any seven-bid; a contract to win all 13 tricks

Honor

Any of the cards: ace, king, queen, jack or ten

Invitational

The condition of a bid that requests partner to bid again if his strength is not minimum

Jump bid

A bid that skips one level of bidding

Jump shift

A jump bid in an unbid suit

Bidding Guide 2Z19 Main Top Bidding Terminology

Natural bid

A bid that shows a desire to play in the named suit or notrump; opposite of an artificial bid

Negative double

A form of takeout double that applies after partner has opened the bidding

Nonforcing

The condition of a bid that allows partner to bid or pass according to the merits of his hand

Opening bid

The first bid made in the bidding

Overcall

A bid as the first action by your side after an opponent has made the opening bid

Penalty double

The normal meaning of a double; i.e., to increase the penalty if the final contract is defeated

Preemptive bid

A bid that skips two or more levels of bidding

Preference bid

A minimum bid in the suit partner bid first after partner has bid a second suit

Raise

A bid that increases the level in partner’s bid suit

Rebid

The second or subsequent bid by the same player

Response

A bid by a player after his partner just previously bid or doubled

Sign-off

The condition of a bid that requires partner to pass

Singleton

A holding of exactly one card in a suit

Slam

Any six-bid; or in general, any six- or seven-bid

Stopper

Protection in a suit, usually for notrump play, at least as good as the ace, K-x, Q-x-x or J-x-x-x

Takeout double

A double that asks partner to bid

Trump fit

A combined holding between you and partner of at least eight cards in a suit expected to be trumps

Unbid suit

A suit that has not been bid by any player

Void

A holding of no cards in a suit; a blank suit

Bidding Guide 2Z19 Main Top Bidding Terminology